April 13, 1967: Tom Seaver's Debut
From The Met Wiki
| Date: April 13, 1967 |
| Mets starter: Tom Seaver |
| Mets: 3 |
| Pirates: 2 |
| Winning pitcher: Chuck Estrada |
| Key player(s): Tom Seaver, Jerry Buchek |
| Key play: Buchek's two-run homer, Hiller's double |
Following a loss in the season opener, the Mets' second game had a new face on the mound. It was that of 22-year-old Tom Seaver, who would become a National League All-Star and Rookie of the Year. In his first Major League appearance, Seaver pitched five and one-third innings and recorded eight strikeouts. After Tom's departure, the Mets broke a tie with an eighth inning run to defeat the Pirates, 3-2, at Shea Stadium.
In the first inning, Pittsburgh had two runners on base with two out. Donn Clendenon stepped up to the plate. Seaver threw a third strike past Clendenon for his first Major League strikeout to end the inning.
The scoring began in the bottom of the second. Tommie Reynolds singled and Jerry Buchek hit a home run off Pirates' starter Woodie Fryman to put the Mets on top, 2-0. Pittsburgh came back to tie on Roberto Clemente's and Maury Wills' RBI singles in the third and fourth innings.
During the sixth, Mets' manager Wes Westrum took Seaver out of the game. Reliever Chuck Estrada came in and got Clemente to hit into an inning-ending double play.
The score was still tied, 2-2, in the eighth. Chuck Hiller came up to bat with two out and hit a double to score Buchek, putting the Mets in front. Ron Taylor, in relief of Estrada, then pitched a perfect ninth inning for the save. The Mets had their first win of the season and the dawn of the "Seaver Era" had begun.
Notes
- Seaver got his first Major League hit in this game with a single in the fourth inning.
- The win for Estrada was his only one as a Met. It was also the last win of his Major League career.
